Attachment for clutches



July 5, 1927.

S. B. LAMBERT ATTACHMENT FOR CLUTCHES Filed Nov. 9. 1925' //Yl/t'/YTOR 3.5.LAMBERT A TTORNEYS Patented July 5, 1927.

unlrao .szrarss PATENT oFrFlca sem Lemma .1 seree s M I- a'r'mqmvrnnm FOR cnorronns.

Application filed November 9, 1925. Serial No. 67,817.

This invention relates generally to, attachments for clutchesJand particularly ..to an attachment "for e clutchlmechanism of the type used on motorilvehic les andhavinga portion capable of rotating freely .immedi 'ately after said clutch mechanism has:been

placedine disengaged condition. .The main' of the speed-changing gears of ithe motor vehicle.

Indrivingmotor vehiclesof thetype having ,speedphanging gears which are shifted nieansof a han'd oper ate d lever it is :necessary to disengage the clutch before shift.- ing from one speed to another, and whenthe cl nt ch is disengaged and the gear-shifting lever :has beenmoved to the neutral ...posi tion a portion of the clutch mechanism, together with the secondary shaft and asso- -elated gears of the transmission, are cap able of j rotat'ing freely for a period of time. Prior ,to this invention it was necessary .in most cases for the motor vehicle operator who desired-to shift the transmission gears to change from one speed to anotherto wait until the speed ofthefreelyrotatingportions of the clutch mechanism and transmission had been reduced sufiiciently to permit the gears to be shifted into mesh, and because of this wait the speed of the vehicle was ,red uced and the smooth operation thereof interferedwithl v ,1 am awarethat devices have heen asso' .ciated with clutches which devices operated to canse friction to be appliedlto the freely rotating portions of the clutches and transmissions; but these devices were faulty-in [that-the same pressure was applied to said ireelyrotating parts regardless-of the speed thereof. "In other words, it the vehicle-were trayeling at a rate otl spe ed equal to five miles an hour when the clutch' w as disengaged, the .samelpr essure would be applied -to the freely rotating parts that would 1 be applied if tlie js eed,ofjtravel of the vehicle 7.6138 at'rt h {i s of i for t y miles an hour at thelmo nen the .tll th wesfd ee i es It ierre ei he ete. ha i a ss' 'tein l ld re "the len th of time of we fie th ew :had been traveling at a rate of speed equal ;to forty n les an hour the same pressure applied when the clutch was disengaged when the vehicle was traveling at five .miles an hour would be excessive, and instead ofza gradual retarding of the speed of rotation of the parts said parts would in all probability be broughtto a sudden stop.

-;The attachment disclosed ,in .the ,present application was designed .toieli ninate the ob- .jections rec ted above, and its predominant -ifeature resides in ,the im that .the amount or" pressnre applied to the rfreely rotating parts 'fthe clutch when said clutch is disl engaged is regulated .by .the speed of .rot a- @1011 of said parts, and therefore said rotatlng parts are retardedsufiicientlyto permit rapid shifting of gears in approximately the same period of time regardless .oflthe speed of travel of the vehicle atthe moment the clutch iis-disengaged; I

:With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention comprises thenovelron- .struct-ion, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter ,IXIQIQ 1 specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying .dr a wings, wherein is shown the preterred. embodiment ofthe invention. However, it is toghe understood that the invention comprehends changes, variations and modifications whi cl'i I come within the scope ,of the claims here- .unt o appended.

Fig. :I is a fragmentary vertical section throngh a multiple diskclntch provided with my improved attachment.

' Fig. 11 is a sectionon line II- II-of -Fig. ;I..-10ok;in in, the direction indicated-by the arrow.

iFig. JLI is a ,detailshowing the arrange ment of the arms ;by means of which the friction members are disengaged gflOIl'l the drum when the clutch mechanism is in an engaged condition.

Fig. *IVis a fragmentary detail showing a modified form of my invention.

Fig. V .is adiagrammatio view showing the arrangement of my attachment with-rela- .tion tO the transmission of-a motor vehicle.

In the drawing, Adesignates theengine shaft of a motor .vehicleand B the transmission shaft thereof.- The engine shaft A andtransmission shafttB are, ofconrse, independently operable, .and .C designates a clutch whereby said engine shaft and transmission shaft may ibe connected together. so ,as {to "provide tor the transmission of motion Ill;

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from said engine shaft to said transmission shatt. 'lhc clutch l illustrated in the drawing is of the multiple disk type and compriscr- :1 member l), which may e in the form iii :1 spider and which is secured to the engine shatt it and rotates therewith. .i sim lar membe i is mounted on the transmission shaft ll and is arranged to slide longitudinally thereol'. ll designates a plurality oi rods which are carried by the member l) and are arrang d parallel with the transmission on shaft ll. Arranged intcrmcdiatc ot the members I) and E is :1 plurality ol' plates (l. which are suppmtcd the rods 1 and are spaced apart trout each other in a horiz ontal direction. 'lhc plates t are each annular in form and are each pro vidcd with apertures l through which the rods l pass. rlecurcd to the nicinher i i and extended thcrei'rom in a direction parallel with the transmission shalt ll is a plurality of rods ll. The rods it support a plurality ol plates l, and each ot said platcscxccptinp; the one immediately :uliaccnt to the member l is located intermediate ot a pair of plates ti. and said plate {l adjacent to the memher l l is intermediate ot one ot said plates and said member E. The member 1 is provided. with a hub portion Ii. which surrounds the transmis sion shatt 13 and has an annular jjlt)0\'0 L formed therein. said annular groove being: adapted to receive pins lot supported by the lower end nations of a lever N. The lever .I l is lined to and depends from a rockahle shalt t) to which the clutch pedal P ot the motor vehicle secured. Q designates a coil spring: vhich is interposed between an end ot the huh portion h: oi? the llltllllltl i l and :1 collar it tixed to the transmission shalt ll. said coil spring being; adapted to urn-c the member ii toward the member l). in the o] cration ol' the clutch the coil spring t l; will three the side tacos ol the plates :l into lirm frictional contact: with the side faces ot the plates tl. whereby said plates J and (it will. rotate as a unit, thus transmitting motion from the engine shaft it to the transmission shatt 1. However, it the toot pedal l be depressed, the member i l will he moved rearwardly against the action ot the spring Q, thus PQlllllt'lilllQ the plates J and tlto separate. whereby the plates (i may rotate without imparting motion to the plates .T.

The foregoing! briefly t'lOStlilDCS a well ltlltlwll type ot" clutch with which my attachment may be used. However, it. is to he iuulerstood that the particular clutch shown and described does not form a part of my invention. and it is obvious that my attachment may be associated with various types of clutches now on the market or which may subsequently appear thereon.

ille'tcrriim now to my improved attachment. 1 designates a stationary drum which may be secured in place in any suitable manner, for instance, by being secured by means: arms 2 to the housing S s11 I'Utlilth ing; the clutch (l, as shown in Fig. l. The drum, 1 is so arranged that it surrounds the member ll. Pivolally secured to the mcn1- her I) is a plurality ol friction mcmhors it, said friction members being pivotally supported by certain of the rods H as shown in Figs. I: and ll. 'lhc Friction members 3 comprise each a: weighted portion land a di'm'ilturiunl tail portion and said wciehted portions -1 oll said 'lriction members are arranged immediately adjacent to the inner t'aee ol the drum t (Fig. lil. .itrrangcd on the outer taco o I.' each wei e'hted portion l of the Friction members it is a layer of Friction material 5.

Fixed to the transmission shalt ll and rotatable therewith is a member (5 provided with a plurality ot arms T, there hcinp one of; said arms associated with each individual. iriction member fl and said arms being extended through apertures 8 in the member 1*) and being arranged immediately adjacent to the tail portions 5 of the triction members 3. By reterring to Fig. 111 it will be seen that; the arms '1' and the tail portions ot the friction members 3 are provided with curved faces, and the purpose of these curved faces will be hereinafter setliorth.

To explain the operation of a n'iotor vehicle provided with a clutch having one ol my improved attachn'icnts associated thcrewith it will be assumed that. said motor vehicle is travclil'in in low speed and that the operator desires to shift the gears so as to cause said vehicle to travel in second speed. \Vhcn the vehicle is traveling: in low speed, the speed o'l" rotation of the cnpqinc shaft A, transmission shattll and the secondary transmission shaft ll in Fig. V is very last, while the speed (it rotation ot the drive shaft; '1, which is connected directly to the ground wheels of the vehicle is comparatively slow. To shift the gears U on the shaft V into mesh with the gears W on the shaft B with the minimum amount of noise. it is necessary that said shatts ll and V be rotating at amnoximately the same speed, and it is this condition that; my i1nproved fltttlCllIl'lQllt brings about; with the least; possible delay. \Vhen the operator desires to shift from a low speed to a higher speed he first disen rap cs the clutch. altcr which he moves the gear-shitting: lever to the neutral position. This will permit the transmission shaft ll and the secondary transmission shaft 13 to spin idly, due to momentum, and it no means were provided to prevent it these pertectly balanced parts would rotate to]? some time. However, with my attachment in place on the clutch the movement of the member E longitudinally of the shaft B when the clutch is disengaged will cause the tail portions 5 of the friction members 3 to be moved away from the arms 7, due to the fact that said friction members are supported by and move with said member E. As soon as the tail portions 5 are free of the ends of the arms 7 centrifugal force will cause the weighted portions i of the friction members 3 to move outwardly, so that the layers of friction material on said weighted port-ions will contact firmly with the inner face of the drum 1, and as said friction faces are drawn aiong-the inner face of the drum 1 the speed of rotation of the freely rotating parts of the clutch and transmission will be retarded.

It is plain, in view of the construction set forth above, that the speed of rotation of the member E and the shafts associated therewith regulate the amount of pressure exerted by the friction members 3 against the inner face of the drum 1. for the reason that the outward swing of said friction members 3 will be in proportion to the speed of said elements. Consequently just enough pressure will be applied by the friction members 3 to the inner face of the drum to gradually retard the rotating parts sufficiently in a fixe'dperiod of time to permit the rapid shifting of gears regardless of the speed of the member II; in other words, the free rotation of the parts of'the clutch and transmission will be retarded sufficiently to permit shifting of the gears in approximately the same period of time regardless of the speed of the vehicle just previous to the disengagement of the clutch, due to the fact that the pressure of the friction members 3 against the inner face of the drum 1 will be greater when the speed of rotation of the rotating parts is high and proportionately less as the speed of rotation of the rotating parts is reduced.

hen the member E is permitted to be moved toward the memberD by the spring Q to permit engagement of the clutch C the curved faces of the tail portions 5 of the friction members and the arms 7 will meet, and as said curved faces slide relative to each other the weighted ends 4 of said friction members will be drawn away from the inner face of the drum 1 and said weighted portions of said friction members will be held away from said inner face of the drum by said arms T while the clutch is in engagement.

In Fig. IV I illustrate a modified form of my invention, wherein a flat plate 1 instead of a drum is employed. In the form of the invention shown in Fig. IV, arms 7' are employed to force the friction faces of the friction members 3 away from the plate 1 when the clutch is engaged, and said friction members are supported by a slidable member E just as in the preferred construction of my invention.

In describing the operation of a clutch provided with my improved attachment, only the operation of shifting from a low speed to a higher speed is described, but it is to be understood that the operation of my attachment is the same when the speed of a vehicle is changed from a higher speed to a lower one.

I claim:

1. In combination with a clutch having a portion capable of free rotation when said clutch is disengaged, a pivoted friction device supported by and rotatable with said freely rotatable portion, a stationary element, said pivoted friction device being thrown outwardly by centrifugal force when said clutch is disengaged and'into contact with said stationary element whereby the speed of rotation of said freely rotating portion of the clutch is retarded, and means whereby said friction device is withdrawn from contact with said stationary element when the clutch is engaged, said means comprising an arm with which said pivoted friction device is caused to contact.

2. A clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a member arranged on said shaft and adapted to rotate with and. move longitudinally thereof, a pivoted friction member supported by said member and adapted to rotate therewith, said pivoted friction member being provided with a weighted end portion, a stationary element, said pivoted friction member being thrown outwardly by centrifugal force when said clutch is disengaged so that it contacts 'with said stationary element to retard the speed of rotation of the member on which said friction member is mounted, and means whereby said pivoted friction member may be withdrawn from contact with said stationary element when said clutch is engaged, said means comprising an arm into engagement with which said friction member is moved when said clutch is moved into engagement, said arm being adapted to move said friction member out of engagement with said stationary element when it is engaged by said friction member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto afliX my signature.

SAMUEL B. LAMBERT. 

